The Conjuring House business license has not been renewed
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The Conjuring House business license has not been renewed

PROVIDENCE – The Burrillville, RI City Council has voted against renewing the entertainment license for “The Conjuring House,” the supposedly haunted farmhouse from the 18th century which attracts crowds of thrill seekers, ghost hunters and paranormal skeptics to the small rural New England town every year.

Council members voted unanimously Monday night against issuing the annual license to the house’s parent company, Bale Fire LLC and its owner Jacqueline Nuñez, who has owned the scary attraction behind the 2013 movie “The Conjuring” since 2022council chairman Donald Fox confirmed to the Globe on Tuesday.

Council members had various concerns about Nuñez and her ability to properly staff the house, which operates around the clock letting guests stay overnight for a “supernatural experience” — a component that makes the business unlike any other in town, Fox said.

“We’ve had issues with very erratic behavior from the owner, you know, in terms of communication with management staff, and we’ve had police incidents with the owner that, you know, have given us pause as we’ve been considering the business license,” said Fox.

Nuñez will not be able to conduct business at the house when her current license expires Nov. 30, Fox said. But she can still apply for a new license, he said.

In a text message to the Globe on Tuesday, Nuñez wrote that she intends to sue the city and the state of Rhode Island in response to Monday’s vote. She said officials committed “violations of constitutional protections.”

Nuñez has previously accused local police and others of trying to put her out of business in recent months, as a series of controversies around her and the house has played out.

Former employees have said Nuñez owes them money, including one who has since filed a lawsuit after he said he was let go when Nuńez accused him of stealing money from the company — a charge she said was based on a tip from a former owner’s ghost.

Jason Hawes, the Rhode Island-based star of the SyFy television show “Ghost Hunters,” has accused Nuñez of harassing him and has said he is concerned about the safety of guests staying at the house.

Last month, Nuñez was arrested by Burrillville police after she allegedly led police on a chase through the city while driving under the influenceaccording to police — allegations she has denied. Police Chief Stephen Lynch said at the time that authorities also visited the Conjuring House twice over the summer with a caregiver to check on Nuñez, who was taken to a hospital on one of those occasions.

Nuñez, told Providence Journal in September, the hospitalization was orchestrated by former employees in an attempt to take control of the house, but she declined to provide information to the Globe last month.

“Being thrown into facilities for complaining about crimes against me and my legitimate business does not mean I have psychiatric problems,” Nuñez said.

The state Department of Labor and Training also temporarily issued a stop-work order last month for all employees at the house except for Nuñez, after officials learned the company had not filed a current workers’ compensation insurance, according to Edwine “Drine” Paul, a spokesperson for the department. The order was finally lifted last week after Nuñez proved she had a policy in place, Paul said.

Then The Conjuring House opened for tours about five years agohome has been beneficial to Burrillville, as people from all over the world trek into town and spend money at restaurants and gas stations while making their way to the farmhouse out on Round Top Road, Fox said.

The city wants to see the business run well, he said.

“The things that have happened up there have just been a little, you know, unusual and out of hand,” Fox said. “I wish (Nuñez), or whoever, you know, ends up taking over that place, the best. We’d love to get it up and running and be able to, you know, market it again so we can market Burrillville. “


Christopher Gavin can be reached at [email protected].